The 4-H
Project Planning Design Kit

PROJECT PLANNING CHECK SHEET

Basic Check List / Check if Completed
  1. Obtain a 3-ring binder or file for easy storage of your project materials

  1. Order project materials from the 4-H Publications Catalog

  1. Review resources available through the UCCE County Office

  1. Get list of your project members

  1. Meet with your Junior/Teen Leader and review plans and expectations for the year

  1. Utilize Experiential Learning

  1. Focus on at least one Life Skill

  1. Promote the Essential Elements of Youth Development

  1. Prepare project goals and expectations for members

  1. Prepare a sample project meeting outline

  1. Complete a calendar for your project’s year, including dates of meeting and event

  1. Reflect / Evaluate your project


ORDER PROJECT MATERIALS FROM THE 4-H PUBLICATION CATALOG

The website to order 4-H YD publications is:

Upon receiving your project materials review them to:

  • Discover the type of learning activities being offered in the project manuals
  • Check to see if there are different levels in the project that allow for progression from year to year
  • Find out what supplies and equipment are needed
  • If project materials are not available, check with the 4-H Youth Development staff for other potential project publications

RESOURCES AVAILABLE THROUGH

THE UCCE COUNTY OFFICE

The UCCE county office can provide you with information regarding the following resources:

  • Community Club Leaders who have project leader experience
  • Project resource leaders
  • Resource lending library, if available at the county office
  • ANR (Ag & Natural Resources) Publication Catalog – publications, videos, DVDs, training kits
  • County newsletter – county events calendar
  • County 4-H website, California’s state 4-H website, and other states’ websites
  • Record book forms
  • 4-H Safety Manual and Clover Safe Notes available at:

California 4-H Youth Development Program 4-H Project Leaders’ Digest Support Materials 2008

4-H Volunteers Development Workgroup

4-H Project Planning Workshop

1

Physical Domain Characteristics

Focus / 5 – 8 year-olds / 9 – 11 year-olds / 12 – 14 year-olds / 15 – 19 year-olds
Physical Development / Youth are mastering physical skills, exhibiting better command of large muscles (e.g., legs) than small muscles (e.g., hands and fingers). / Youth are physically stronger and exhibit better balance and coordination; small muscle coordination is advancing. / Both genders experience physical changes (e.g., height, voice, secondary sex characteristics) that are rapid and profound. Physical strength, balance, and muscle coordination continue to advance. / Most teens have gone through puberty. Physical strength, balance, and muscle coordination are well developed.
Maturation Rates / Physical growth for this age group is generally gradual and consistent across gender. / Youth are maturing physically at different rates. Most females will be maturing faster than their male counterparts with some females entering puberty. / Sexual maturation and growth rates vary within and between genders; however, changes in females generally occur sooner than for males. / Rates of sexual maturity and growth are similar between genders.

Cognitive Domain Characteristics

Focus / 5 – 8 year-olds / 9 – 11 year-olds / 12 – 14 year-olds / 15 – 19 year-olds
Thinking
Strategies / Youth this age are concrete thinkers. They base their thinking in the present (here and now) and in absolutes (e.g., right or wrong; yes or no). / Favor concrete thinking, but begin to use reasoning skills and abstract thought.Youth vary greatly in cognitive abilities. / Youth exhibit abilities to think abstractly and hypothetically. Beginning to develop skills using logic; can use reason to understand results and consequences. / Youth are competent abstract thinkers. Have the ability to process information and ideas to explain how and why things occur.
Interests and
Attention / This age group is naturally curious about their immediate environment and relies heavily upon sensory experiences.They generally have a short attention span. / Creative; curious; eager to try new things.Interested in collections and hobbies. / Interests broaden; youth are curious about the world beyond their immediate environment.Begin to show interest in regional, national and global issues. / Exhibit a sense of community awareness and concern for others.Develop personal philosophies and enjoy sharing their knowledge and ideas.

Emotional Domain Characteristics

Focus / 5 – 8 year-olds / 9 – 11 year-olds / 12 – 14 year-olds / 15 – 19 year-olds
Self-perception / Self-centered and sensitive. Express a wide range of feelings.Easily upset by criticism, failure, or changes in plans or routines. / Self-confidence and self-esteem can be fragile. Need recognition and praise. / Youth can be highly self-conscious and self-critical. Changing body images may result in anxiety and embarrassment.Youth are at risk of having low self esteem. / Feelings of inadequacy and not being equal to their peers are prevalent among this age group. Some males may still be going through puberty and may be uncomfortable with their changing body image.
Dependence/
Autonomy / Strongly dependent on adults and seek adult attention.Willing to help and desire to please. / Begin questioning parental authority, but look to those “in charge” to help guide appropriate behavior.Admire and imitate older youth. / Mood swings are common. Independence is desired, but youth still require parental guidance. / Achieving independence from adults; cultivating own identity.

Social Domain Characteristics

Focus / 5 – 8 year-olds / 9 – 11 year-olds / 12 – 14 year-olds / 15 – 19 year-olds
Interactions / Youth are beginning to explore social settings (e.g., clubs, sports, youth groups) outside of their homes, but still need adult approval. / Youth express themselves by guiding their own activities.They enjoy teamwork, but may begin exhibiting a sense of competition. / Youth begin to exhibit more independence, shifting from a reliance on parents to forming own values.However, adult approval is still important. / Youth are more independent; exhibit an increased willingness to accept responsibility and fill adult leadership roles.
Relationships / Friendships are evolving, with possibly more than one “best friend.” Youth continue to be self-interested, but are starting to develop empathy.Cross-gender play takes place, with same gender favored at the end of this stage. / Youth enjoy group activities and exhibit group loyalty. They hold older youth in high regard and try to emulate them. Require adult direction to remain on task. / Youth are concerned about peer relationships and personal appearance.Excessive grooming behavior is common and normal. / Youth seek individual identity, yet they also seek status within their peer groups. Their interest in mixed gender activities and dating increases.

California 4-H Youth Development Program 4-H Project Leaders’ Digest Support Materials 2008

4-H Volunteers Development Workgroup

4-H Project Planning Workshop

1

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE

California 4-H Youth Development Program 4-H Project Leaders’ Digest Support Materials 2008

4-H Volunteers Development Workgroup

4-H Project Planning Workshop

1

Experiential Learning Workshop: Level I (Beginning Level)

Understanding the Experiential Learning Cycle

5-Step Experiential Learning Cycle Definitions

EXPLORATION: “Do it”

Perform or do an activity with little to no help from the facilitator/teacher. Examples might include: making products or models; role-playing; giving a presentation; problem-solving; playing a game.

Features of experiences include:

i)May be an individual or group experience but involves doing.

ii)Most likely will be unfamiliar to the learners – a first-time activity.

iii)Pushes the learner beyond previous performance levels.

SHARING: “What Happened”

Publicly share the results, reactions, and observations. Get the participants to talk about their experience.Share reactions and observations.Discuss feelings generated by the experience.Let the group (or individual) talk freely and acknowledge the ideas they generate.

Examples of sharing questions:

i)What did you do?

ii)What happened?

iii)What did you see, feel, hear, taste?

iv)What was the most difficult? Easiest?

PROCESSING: “What’s Important?”

Discussing, analyzing, reflecting, and looking at the experience.Discuss how the experience was carried out.Discuss how themes, problems, and issues are brought out by the experience.Discuss how specific problems or issues were addressed.Discuss personal experiences of members.Encourage the group to look for recurring themes.

Examples of processing questions:

i)What problems or issues seemed to occur over and over?

ii)What similar experience(s) have you had?

GENERALIZING:“So What?”

Connect the experience with real world examples.Find general trends or common truths in the experience.Identify “real life” principles that surfaced.List key terms that capture the learning.

Examples of generalizing questions:

i)What did you learn about yourself through this activity?

ii)Why is (life skill) important in your daily life?

iii)How does what you learned relate to other parts of your life?

APPLICATION: “Now What?”

Apply what was learned to a similar or different situation; learn from past experiencesand practice.Discuss how new learning can be applied to other situations.Discuss how issues raised can be useful in the future.Discuss how more effective behaviors can develop from the new learning.Help each individual feel a sense of ownership for what was learned.

Example questions about applying the experience:

i)How can you apply what you learned to a new situation?

ii)How will you act differently in the future?

iii)How could you apply the life skills learned through this practice in the future?

Adapted from the work of David Kolb (1984) by Pfeiffer and Jones (1985).

California 4-H Youth Development Program 4-H Project Leaders’ Digest Support Materials 2008

4-H Volunteers Development Workgroup

4-H Project Planning Workshop

1

4-H Project Meeting Planning Guide

Project Name / Meeting Date
Meeting Time / Location
Leadership Team for Meeting (List adult and youth leaders):
Basic Checklist / Check if OK / Notes
Notification of members?
At least two adults present?
(required by policy)
Adequate space for meeting?
Safety concerns addressed?
Arrival activity for early birds?
Instructional Interest Getter?
(15-20 minutes)
Hands-on Activity (30-50 minutes)
Discussion Time (10-15 minutes)
Member presentations? (10 minutes)
Record keeping Time (10 minutes)
Summary and Assignments for future (10 minutes)
Refreshments & recreation

California 4-H Youth Development Program 4-H Project Leaders’ Digest Support Materials 2008

4-H Volunteers Development Workgroup

4-H Project Planning Workshop

1

Content Planning

Part of Meeting / Why / What We Will Do / Who Will Lead
Interest Getter
(15-20 minutes)
Ideas include identification quizzes, judging contests, relay skill game, videos, tour, guest speakers, instruction by leader, etc. / Establishes concepts to be learned at the meeting. Promotes skill development and mastery.
Skills Session
(30-50 minutes)
Hands-on activity using Experiential Learning / Improves learning, promotes a sense of mastery and independence, develops Life Skills.
Discussion
(15- 20 minutes)
Allow time for members to process the experience of the skill session. / Promotes mastery of the concepts and skills.Promotes a sense of Teamwork.
Presentation
(10 minutes)
Have members make short and simple prepared talks. / Promotes mastery and independence.
Develop public speaking life skill.
Record Keeping
(10 – 15 minutes)
Help members capture what they did and learned / Promotes a sense of Mastery and record keeping life skill.
Summary & Assignments
(10 – 20 minutes)
Summarize key points and make assignments. / Promotes sense of Belonging, develops Leadership and possibly Citizenship.
Refreshments & Recreation
(20 minutes)
Time can vary. The point is fun and fellowship. / Promotes sense of Belonging.

California 4-H Youth Development Program 4-H Project Leaders’ Digest Support Materials 2008

4-H Volunteers Development Workgroup

4-H Project Planning Workshop

1

Suggested Division of Time for a 90-minute 4-H Project Meeting